Can-washer



S. ROBERTS.

GAN WASHER.

(No Model.)

No. 371,366. Patented Oct. 11188'7.

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N. PETERS. Phowumngmphnr, washington, D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT Ormea.

SS LVANUS ROBERTS, OF CHESTER, NEV YORK.

CAN-WASH tu.`

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 371,366, dated October 1l, 1887.

Application tiled )lay 24, IES?.

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, SvLvxNUs Ronnnrs, of

Chester, in the county ot Orange and State ot' New York, have invented a new andI Improved Device for Vashing Milk Cans, of which the following is a l'ull, clear, and exact description. v My invention relates to an improved device for washing milk-cans, and has for its object to quickly, thoroughly, and effectually wash a can both inside and out in aJ simple and convenient manner.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set. forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specifi cation, in which similar figures ot' reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a.central vertical section through the device and through a can held therein, and Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a section on line 3 3 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a section partially on line 4 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a detail view of that portion ot' the device adapted to wash the neck of the can inside.

ln carrying out the invention a rectangular box, l, is provided, slotted centrally and vertically at the inner end, to which end of the box a rectangular frame, 2. is attached. The said box 1 is provided with a lid, 3, adapted to cover about half the same, which lid has attached to the top a handle, 4, projecting beyond the front side ot' said box. The under portion ot thelid is provided with one or more longitudinal strips, 5, shaped to the outer contour of a milk-can, and the under faces of said strips have attached thereto a series of abutting brushes, 6, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

rlhe lid 3 is not hinged directly to the box, but to a longitudinal bar, 7, pivoted centrally to the inner and upper edge ot' said box,whcreby the lid may be niade to bear heavily upon either end ofthe can. rhe brushes 6 are made adjustable laterally by giving the bolts supporting the strip 5, to which they are attached, more or less play in the slots 8 produced in the cover 3. To one side of the box, at the rear end, a lever, 9, is pivoted, adapted to extend transversely the box and project Serial No. 239,230.

through a slot in the other side. Upon the inner l'ace ot' said lever brushes 10 are secured, the brushes being purposed to engage the outer bottoni portion ol' the can to clean the same, as shown in Fig. 2.

In the bottom ofthe box a car or frame, 11, is laid, having brackets upon each upper side near the ends, in which friction-rollers 12 are pivoted, adapted to support the can 13 when placed in the box for washing and to assist said can to revolve.

In the frame 2 a carriage, 14, is pivoted, upon which carriage, centrally and longitudi nally the same, a rod, 15, isjoi'irnaled,theouter end ol' the rod having attached thereto a pulley, ld, the other end of said rod projecting beyond the carriage nearly the length of the box, being purposed to carry the mechanism for washing the interior of the cans.

Between its bearings the rod 15 is encircled by a coil spring, 17, the inner end of said spring being made to bear against one end of an arched bnr, 1S, sliding upon the rod, the other end of which bar is connected with a collar, 19, also sliding upon the rod 15. The movement ot' the bar 1S is controlled by a lever, 20, pivoted to the carriage and to the bar. the free end ot which leveiyprojecting beyond the carriage, may be made to engage a rack suitably placed thereon.

The mechanism for cleaning the inside ofthe can consists ot' two longitudinal parallel plates, 21, one at each side ot' the rod 15, having hinged to their outer ends short plates 22, which plates are pivotally attaehedto a cross head, 23, sliding upon the rod, which sliding` cross-head is ol' a length less than the width of a milk-cau at the mouth.

An Sshaped bar, 24, is passed through and secured to the rod 15 at right angles to the side plates 21, nearly opposite their connection with the short plates 22, the said plates 21 being pivotally connected with the ends ot' the S-shaped bar by conneetingrods 25, as shown inv Fig. 4.

ANear the inner end ot the rod 15 a similar S-shaped bar is secured in like manner to the bars 24, and united to the ends of the long plates 21 also by pivoted connecting-bars.

Between the sliding cross-head 23 and the S-shaped bar a coil-spring, 2G, is made to encircle the rod 15, and a distance beyond said IOO bar a sleeve, 27, is held to slide upon the rod, connected by a strap, 28, with thesliding collar 19, and provided with diverging pivotal in the lid is adjusted to the outer contour of arms 29, one arm being hinged or pivoted to each long plate 21, as shown in Fig. 1. Between said sleeve 2 7 and the end S-shaped bar, 24, a second coilAspring, 29, is made to encircle the rod 15.

At the extreme inner end of the rod 15 a cross-head, 30, is secured parallel with the S- shaped bar 24, having pivoted at each end strips 31, which, remaining at all times parallel with the connecting-rods 25, are pivotally secured at their opposite end to the extremities of the side plates 21, as shown in Fig. 3. The long side plates 21, the short side plates 22, the iixed cross-head 30, and the strips 31 are covered upon theirouterfaces with brushes l32, as illustrated in Fig. l.

To the outer ends of the short plates 22 an integral outward projection, 33, is formed, and at a slight angle outward a short strip, 3l, is attached by a spring-plate, 35, as shown in Fig. 5, and the outer faces of said strip and projection are both provided with brushes 3G, adapted to clean the mouth of the can.

1n operation the boX is filled with water at a proper temperature. and the carriage and rod are carried to a vertical or inclined position, the device having been previously contracted by the outward movement of the lever 20. The can is thereupon placed over the device and the lever 20 carried inward, which movement presses forward the sleeve 27, which causes the diverging arms 29 to straighten themselves, thereby expanding the frame of the devices until the brushes firmly engage the vinner surface ofthe can. rflielid being opened, the can thus fastened is 4let down in the box upon the rollers 12,and the brush-carrying bar the can. This is preferably'hcld down with the hand, while the levers 9 20, having been previously manipulated, ar'e held in a given position by contact with a suitable rack,or in any'other approved manner. When the power is applied to pulley 16, the device is made to revolve rapidly, while the motion of the can is more or less checked by contact with the brushes of the lid. Thus it will be observed that both the inside and outside of many cans may be thoroughly cleaned in a short space of time.

Having thus described my invention, whatI claim as'- new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with a box or receptacle provided with an' adjustable lid carrying brushes upon the inner face adaptedto engage the outer surface of the can, a lever pivoted at one end, carrying brushes adapted to engage the bottom of the can, and a truck having f riction -rollersadapted to receive the said can, ofafl carriage pivoted outside the box, a rod journaled in sai d carriage, an expansible frame adapted for insertion in the can, having brushes attached to the outer side, and means for revolving said rod a-nd can, substantially as herein shown and described.

2. The combination, with a boX provided with an adjustable lid, an adjustable bar secured to the inner face of said lid, carrying brushes adapted to engage the outer surface of a can, a lever pivoted at one end, carrying brushes adapted to engage the bottom of the can, and a truck having friction-rollers adapted to support said can, of Ia carriage pivoted outside the box, adapted to assume a vertical or horizontal position, a rodjou rnaled in said carriage, anexpansible frame attached to said rod,adapted for insertion in the can, a series of brushes attached to the outer surface of the frame, and means for rotating said rod and can, substantially as herein set forth.

SYLVANUS ROBERTS.` Vitnesses:

WARREN M. SMITH, GEoRGE H. STRONG. 

